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GRWA

GRWA – How to Control Leaks on your Property

Why is Leakage Management Important?

GRWA is a small system with limited pumping capacity. This means that even small leaks can have a significant effect on the amount of available water.

The Grange Road Water system is experiencing excessive leaks on properties and the Committee asks everyone to do your best to eliminate leaks.

To put the challenge in perspective

  • 2022/23 was a record year for leaks – we estimate around 30% of the water pumped into our system was lost to leaks on properties. This is 10% worse than previous years and may cause us to breach our abstraction limit of 9000 m3.
  • Most leaks are on properties – over the last few months we have had 11 significant leaks, 7 were on members’ properties. In addition, we have a continuous leakage of 4000 litres per day. This is due to household leaks such as dripping taps, faulty toilets etc..

Finding leaks is difficult and we need your help, so here are guidelines on what you can do.

Guidelines for Reducing, Finding and Fixing Leaks

1. Turn Off Water at Toby when you are not in Hahei

Please shut off your water at the toby when you are going to be away for some time. For your information, you may find when you return, that we may have turned off your toby if a leak is suspected on your property.

2. Check Supply pipe from Toby to Holding tank

Many older houses have black alkathene pipe running from the toby to your holding tank. Black alkathene pipe can easily crack and so we recommend you replace it with blue MDPE plastic pipe. Please note that GRWA is responsible for delivering water to your toby only. After the toby, members are responsible.

3. Check and Replace Tank Float Valve

Many properties have brass float valves. They corrode and have a life of about 10 years. We recommend you replace any brass float valve with a plastic float valve such as the Hansen Mini FastFlo

See https://www.hansenproducts.com/products/trough-valves/mini-fastflo .They only cost about $30 and are very easy to install

4. No connections prior to Holding Tank

It is a requirement of GRWA that all connections to your property must be from your own house pump. You must not connect directly to the feed into your house prior to you holding tank float valve.

Please make sure you follow this rule. If you have house leaks, you will hear your house pump starting and stopping.

5. Check your Plumbing

Look for leaks around your house – toilets and leaking taps are obvious places. But you may have a leaking shower tap or a dripping garden hose. Always turn garden hoses off at the tap – do not rely on hose fittings as these often fail

GRWA Christmas Message 2023

Hello Everyone

We wish everyone a great Christmas and summer holidays.

Over the next two months, it will be very busy in Hahei and this puts great pressure on the limited capacity of our water system. Restrictions on water usage are needed to make sure water is available for everyone  during the summer.

From 18 December until further notice, the use of Grange Road Water supply for the following activities is not permitted:

  • Washing cars, boats or houses
  • Use of sprinklers or hoses for watering gardens

Please make sure anyone using your house is aware of these restrictions.

We also encourage you to follow the following water conservation guidelines:

  • Limit shower times to 2-3 min
  • To keep your plants alive recycle shower water into the garden. Outdoor shower water is easy to collect and recycle
  • During 2023, give some thought to installing a rainwater tank for irrigating your garden next Christmas.
  • Check your toilets. Is there water dribbling into the pan? Only flush the toilet when necessary.
  • Does your water distribution pump switch on and off frequently? This could be an indication of a small leak.
  • Check garden taps and hose. Do not rely on plastic hose connections and sprayers to shut off water. We have several examples of garden hoses bursting wasting thousands of litres of water.
  • Is your storage tank overflowing? Check the float valve and replace it if necessary. Since our water is slightly acidic, be aware float valves can fail

We remind you of the following Association rules which are particularly important during the summer.

  • Turn off your Toby when you are not using the property
  • Do not use Grange Road Water supply for filling or topping up swimming pools or spa pools

WATER IS PRECIOUS

Contact details in an emergency:

Duncan Kingsbury  021 393 931

Geoff Hick  0274 844 683

Tim Donovan 027 237 8679